Extrahepatic manifestations of chronic hepatitis C

Aim. To study incidence, special features and mechanisms underlying onset o f extrahepatic lesions in HCV-infection. Materials and methods. Extrahepatic symptoms of chronic hepatitis C and its outcome - hepatic cirrhosis were studied in 157 patients. HCV-infection wa s confirmed by ELISA II and polymerase chain reaction (defection in the ser um of anti-HCV and HCVRNA, respectively). Morphological studies of the live r were made in 134 patients, of other organs and tissues - in 20 patients. Immunological tests were made in 124 patients. Thyroid hormones, antibodies to thyroglobuline were measured with radioimmunoassay in 74 patients. Results. Extrahepatic manifestations were found in 70(44.6%) patients with chronic hepatitis C (more frequently in hepatic cirrhosis), for the most pa rt in women and in long-lasting disease. 54(43.5%) women had cryoglobulinem ia, 27 of them showed it clinically. Patients with cryoglobulinemia and fre e of if exhibited varying frequency cutaneous vasculitis, Raynaud's syndrom e, affection of the muscles and joints, nodular periartheritis, lesions of the lungs, myocarditis, autoimmune thyroiditis, Sjogren's syndrome, lichen ruber planus, porphyria cutanea tarda, immune cytopenia, autoimmune hemolyt ic anemia, hypoplastic anemia, monoclonal immunoglobulinopathy, B-cell lymp homa. Of high frequency were activity of rheumatic factor (66.9%), hypocomp lementemia (31.8%), antinuclear antibodies (9.8%) and other immunological d isorders. Conclusion. Some extrahepatic lesions in HCV-infection are detailed-frequen t mixed cryoglobulinemia and associated vasculitides of different sites, ma lignant lymphoproliferative diseases, more frequent than in HBV-infection i nvolvement of the thyroid and salivary glands, some skin lesions.